Reenforced cutting block



Nov. 24, 1931. H. L. GLIDDEN 1,833,111

REENFORCED CUTTING BLOCK Filed Jan. 10, 1930 Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES HARVEY L. GLIDDEN, OF LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW a JERSEY IREENFORCED CUTTING BLOCK Application filed January 10, 1930. Serial No. 419,952. it

This invention relates to improvements in reenforced cutting blocks and clamping irons therefor, and is herein illustrated as embodied in a cutting block of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,229,736, granted June 12, 1917 on application of \V. R. Forsyth;

Cutting 'blocks of the type referred to, which are extensively used in connection with the cutting of sheet material such as'leather by means of (lies, as heretofore constructed commonly comprise a plurality of wooden sections glued together to form a unitary structure the upper and lower surfaces of which comprise the cutting surfaces of the block. In order to prevent separation of the sections along their glued joints, it is common practice, as illustrated in the aforementioned Letters Patent, to make use of clamping members or irons which exert pressure upon the sides of the block. Such clamping irons better enable the block to withstand the stresses which are transmitted through the cutting surface and also tend to prevent checking of the block dueito temperature changes. 4

An object of the present invention is to provide a cutting block having improved reenforcing means comprising clamping members which, while retaining the advantages of block constructions heretofore in use, will eflect greater economy in the manufacture and use of the clamping members,

To this end, in the illustrated cutting block which comprises aplurality ofwooden sections and hasclamping members or irons extending along the sides thereof, one of the clamping members is-provided with a bolt mounted for adjustment longitudinally of the member for applying tension thereto. Preferably and as shown, the bolt passes through an end of-one member substantially at right angles thereto and also passes through an opening so located in an adjacent member that the shank of the bolt, when in position therein, extends in a direction parallel to the axis of that member, the bolt being held in any desired position of adjustment bya nut. i g

In applying the invention to a cutting block, use is preferably made of clamping" irons atopposite sides of the block, there being an adjustable bolt at each corner of the block to provide for the application of clamping pressure transversely as Well as longitudinally of the block so that oppositely disposed irons can be drawn toward each other firmly to press the block sections together. The effective lengths of tlie illustrated irons without the bolts, when in position on the block, are somewhat shorter than the sides vof the block along which they extend so that there is suflicient leeway for tensioning the irons by means of the, bolts v The illustrated arrangement is such that the shank of a bolt is received in'an opening in the end of an-iron, the head of the bolt being in contact with the outer surface of an adjacent iron through which the bolt passes so that, regardless ofthe amount of tension placed'upon an iron, the bolt head remains in the same position. Thus the overall length vof the iron and bolt can be adjusted-to variations in sizes of the blocks and the. iron can be tensioned to anyamount desired without leaving portions thereof projecting beyond the body of the iron which would tend to catch in an operators clothes. This avoids any necessity of cutting offthe ends of the irons after they have been tightened upon the block. Furthermore, with the construction referred to it is possible to make use of the clamping irons over and over again merely byloosening the bolts removing the irons from worn-out blocks, and placing them upon newv blocks.

The invention also contemplates the provision of a clamping member for cutting blocks comprising a bar and a bolt extending substantially longitudinally of the bar for adjusting the effective length of the member.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a reenforced cutting block, illustrating one embodiment ofthe invention; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the reenforced cutting block. 1

PATENT OFFICE tie lhe illustrated cutting block 10 is made up of a plurality of wooden sections 12 glued together to form a unitary structure. Extending along the sides of the block 10 at approximately the central portions thereof heightwise of the block are clamping members or irons 14, 16 and 18, which operate to apply pressure to oppositely disposed side surfaces of the block thereby to strengthen it and to prevent separation of the glued joints between sections 12.

Each of the irons 14, 16, 18 a d 20 is made up of two spaced bars 22 which are held together at one end by means of a filler piece 24 and a plate 26 which are welded to the bars 22. The bars 22 are secured together at the other end by a plate 28 which has an offset portion 30 pos tioned between the bars to space them. the plate 28 also being welded to the bars. The filler piece 24; and the offset portion 28 of the plate 26 space the bars to form a slot 32. Positioned in the slot 32 of iron 20 and in a similar slot in iron 18 are reenforcing; rods 84 which extend through the block 10 and which are held in position under tension by nuts 86 which engage clips 38, making contact with the bars 22 of clamping' members 18 and 20. The rods 34. are preferably spaced along the longer sides of the block and serve to reenforce the block in transverse directions.

For securing together the clamping members or irons 14. 16. 18 and 20 each of said members is provided at one of its ends with a bolt-receiving opening: 10 (Fig. 2) which extends through the fi ler piece 2% and plate 26 substantially at right angles to the member. and at its other end with an opening 42 which extends through the plate 28 substantially in the direct on of the axis of the memher. In assembling the irons on the block. a bolt 44 is positioned through the opening 40, forexample in member 11. with the head 46 of the bolt engaging the plate 26 and the threaded shank 48 of the bolt extending through the opening 42 in the plate 28 of the adjacent clamping member 20. A nut 50 is held flush with the inner surface 5 of plate 28 with its opening in alinement with the shank of the bolt. and the latter is turned to thread the shank of the bolt into the nut. the

1 head 46 of the bolt engaging plate 28 to force the iron 14 against the side of the block and. place the iron 20 under tension. In order to prevent turning of the nut 50 while the bolt 44 is being" tightened, thereby to facilitate the assembly. the bars 22 are beveled slightly, shown at to receive the nut 50. the face of the bevels being adapted to engage the nutto maintain it in fixed position as the bolt 44 is threaded into the nut. In assembling the clamping irons on the block. the

procedure above indicated is followed successively at each corner of the block, the bOlts 4st being tightened to apply the required clamping pressure to the sides of the block.

It will be observed that the adjustable connection between adjacent irons at the corners of the block and comprising the bolts 44 provides for variation in the length and width of the block, the corresponding variations in the length of the irons being taken care of by adjusting the bolts inwardly or outwardly alon the longitudinal axes of the irons. Since the shanks of the bolts extend inwardly substantially along the axes of the irons which they place under tension, there will be no projecting portions aside from the bolt head extending beyond the flat surfaces of the adjacent irons. This avoids likelihood of operators catching their clothing on the projecting end portions of the ire The adjustability of the irons also eliminates any necessity of cutting oil projecting end portions would make the irons too short for subsequent use on other blocks.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A. clamping iron for cutting blocks comprising a bar having at the ends thereof openings for the reception of bolts, one of said openings extending substantially along the axis of the bar and another of said openings extending at right angles to said axis.

2. )1 cutting block having a plurality of members extending along the sides of the block, and a bolt extending through one of the members at a right angle thereto and mounted for adjustment longitudinally of an adjacent member for securing the members together,

3. A cutting block comprising a plurality of wooden sections, and having clamping irons extending along the sides of the block, and a bolt extending through one end. of one of said irons substantially at a right angle thereto and positioned in one end of an adjacent iron for movement longitudinally of the second-mentioned iron to provide for adjustment of the length of said iron.

4. A reenforcing device for cutting blocks comprising a plurality of bars extending along the sides of the block having each at the ends thereof bolt-receiving openings, and bolts for securing: the bars together. each of said bolts being positioned with its shank extending through a bar at right angles thereto and through an. adjacent bar substantially longitudinally thereof.

5. A rectangular cutting block having a plurality of clamping irons extendind at right angles to each other with an end of one iron adjacent to an end of a second iron at a corner of the block. one of said irons having: a bolt-receiviiur opening extending in a direction longitudinally of the iron a bolt extending through the end of the other iron with its head disposed outwardly and its shank positioned in the bolt-receiving opening, and a nut on the inner end of the shank of the bolt for drawing the ends of the irons together.

6. A reenforced cutting block comprising a plurality of Wooden block sections, clamping members extending respectively along different sides of the block, one of said clamping members being provided at one end with a bolt-receiving opening extending longitudinallv of the member and a bolt positioned in the opening and extending through a member located along an adjacent side of the block.

7. A reenforced cutting block comprising a plurality of wooden block sections, and clamping members extending along the sides of the block, each of said members having a bolt passing through one of its ends at right angles to the member and through an adiacent member substantially longitudinally thereof.

8. A reenforced cutting block comprising a plurality of wooden block sections, means for clamping the sections comprising clamping irons extending along the sides of the block and having each atone end thereof an opening extending substantially longitudinally of the iron, and securing bolts posit-ioned at corners of the block with the shank portion of each bolt extending through one iron at right angles thereto and positioned in the opening in an adjacent iron thereby to secure the irons together upon the block.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HARVEY L. GLIDDEN. 

